Rule of Capture | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

“This one is fresh, intelligent, and emotional with a plot that envisions an alternate reality hard to dismiss as unreal. It’s a legal thriller, with a big twist, stirring and imaginative, brimming with skullduggery, that will have you asking: is this possible?”—New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

Better Call Saul meets Ben Winter’s The Last Policeman in this first volume in an explosive legal thriller series set in the world of Tropic of Kansas—a finalist for the 2018 Campbell Award for best science fiction novel of the year.

Defeated in a devastating war with China and ravaged by climate change, America is on the brink of a bloody civil war. Seizing power after a controversial election, the ruling regime has begun cracking down on dissidents fighting the nation’s slide toward dictatorship. For Donny Kimoe, chaos is good for business. He’s a lawyer who makes his living defending enemies of the state.

His newest client, young filmmaker Xelina Rocafuerte, witnessed the murder of an opposition leader and is now accused of terrorism. To save her from the only sentence worse than death, Donny has to extract justice from a system that has abandoned the rule of law. That means breaking the rules—and risking the same fate as his clients.

When Donny bungles Xelina’s initial hearing, he has only days to save the young woman from being transferred to a detention camp from which no one returns. His only chance of winning is to find the truth—a search that begins with the opposition leader’s death and leads to a dark conspiracy reaching the highest echelons of power.

Now, Donny isn’t just fighting for his client’s life—he’s battling for his own. But as the trial in the top secret court begins, Xelina’s friends set into motion a revolutionary response that could destroy the case. And when another case unexpectedly collides with Xelina’s, Donny uncovers even more devastating secrets, knowledge that will force him to choose between saving one client . . . or the future of the entire country.

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Release Date: August 13, 2019

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Tropic of Kansas

MY REVIEW

In Rule of Capture, Christopher Brown blends science fiction with legal thriller for an immensely exciting read. Lawyer Donny Kimoe operates in a society full of chaos, thanks to war and climate change. The case for his new client, filmmaker Xelina Rocafuerte, leads him into a dangerous search for truth amidst conspiracy, secrets, and political control.

The dystopia Rule of Capture presents is chilling, and its story throws plenty of twists, making me unsure of what to expect next. It is most definitely a thrilling read that I enjoyed. Though it takes place in the same world as Tropic of Kansas, Rule of Capture can be read as a standalone easily enough—however, I do very much hope to go read Tropic of Kansas now.

★★★★

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher Brown’s debut novel Tropic of Kansas was a finalist for the Campbell Award for best science fiction novel of 2018, and he was a World Fantasy Award nominee for the anthology Three Messages and a Warning. His short fiction and criticism has appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies, including MIT Technology Review, LitHub, Tor.com and The Baffler. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he also practices law.

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